The Darkness Within
by Shattered Darkness
Summary: After having his heart consumed by darkness and nearly killing Sora, Riku vows to protect him in retrubution. But is he the one putting Sora in danger? Can Riku conquer the evil inside him, or will he only end up hurting Sora again?
1. A Promise to Keep

1Author's Note: Okay, I know this is like the third time I've added stuff to this chapter, but I keep seeing things I want to fix, so.....please bare with me ok. Once again, please don't flame me, this is my first fic and it's only the first chapter so.....please try to be at least a little nice ''. I'm reeeeaaally sorry if there are mistakes, I'm not the greatest speller at times. Just a little information about this fic, it takes place after Sora's second fight with Riku....but not excatly; you'll understand once you start reading it. There also might be some SoraXRiku later on, that is, if I get enough good reviews asking for more. Anyways, please enjoy....or don't, just don't incinerate me.

**Chapter 1: A Promise to Keep**

"_Why..."_ The word slowly escaped Sora's lips as he lay on the floor of Hollow Bastion in front of the entrance to the keyhole. He could no longer feel the pain that was once coursing through his mangled body, riddled with wounds and gashes. His clothes were sopping from the puddle beneath him of his own blood. Everything in his vision was just a mixture of blurry colors now, but he knew very well who that silhouetted figure looming over him was. Slowly, and painfully, Sora raised his hand up to the figure, almost in the same gesture the figure had once done to him, and drops of sorrow gathered in his eyes,_ "Why, Riku?" _

The Soul Eater sat resting upon his left shoulder, preparing to give the final blow. Only darkness was in his heart now, he felt no emotion. Or...at least the shell in which his true heart resided didn't. While the expression on his face was none, inside he was screaming for himself to stop. He couldn't bare the thought of his own hands putting an end to Sora's life. There was no control though; his body no longer belonged to himself. He could feel the muscles in his arm start to tense. This was it, he was going to swing the Soul Eater and there would be no more sheepish grins, no more stupid remarks, or sparring back home, or arguing over who would get to share the papou with who. His arm moved, taking the sword along with it. There it was, the horrible 'Shing' that marked Sora's demise.... But for some reason Riku didn't feel the Soul Eater connect with flesh and, as he suddenly realized, the sword wasn't even in his hand. What had happened, he could only feel the darkness inside now as a tiny, nagging sensation. He heard the loud clatter as the sword crashed to the floor, and his hands clasped around another, one that had been reaching out to him. He collapsed to his knees and drew the hand up to his chest, his head bowed to hide the tears he wish he didn't feel ashamed of.

"_I'm sorry....Sora, please..." _Too choked up to finish his words, Riku fell silent, trying to control the sobs threatening to escape. Sora smiled in his strangely reassuring way and, though it was rather uncomfortable, laughed lightly. Riku's head jerked up, afraid that the laugh was more a hack of unbearable pain.

"_You look more friendly when you show emotion, you should try it more often." _How could he smile like that when he was in so much pain? And how could he even want to say anything after what I've done to him? In spite of his own sorrow and disgust at his doings, Riku gave a little quirky smile.

"_Just shut up you."_ He gently slid his hands underneath Sora and picked him up. Sora gave a small grin before falling unconscious. He'd have to get him help fast if he ever wished to see his beloved friend again. Cautiously Riku walked down the stairs of the balcony, but could go no further.

"_Stop right there!" _Came the half audible voice of Sora's travel companion, Donald Duck, _"Yeah, and hand over Sora." _This one was Goofy. They looked serious, like they would fight to the death if they had to. They would be deaf to anything Riku would have to say, he was sure. It would be so easy to just hand Sora over to his companions, but Riku felt he couldn't trust these idiots with Sora's precious body. How could he convince them that he only wanted to help?

"_We have to take him to Traverse Town. If he doesn't get help soon then..." _He couldn't bring himself to say such a thin. Silver hair fell around his face as his head dropped, shadowing his features. He took a few steps towards Donald and Goofy, which only got a defensive response from them as the grip on their weapons tightened.

"_Please, just trust me."_ The voice that came from this once violent and dark boy, was now more pure and sincere that any being's could have been with a slight wavering of fear for his friend's life. Donald and Goofy were taken back by his voice, but even more stunned by the look that followed it. His eyes glistened with tears that he no longer tried to hide and the frown upon his face expressed the deep sorrow and concern that was causing his heart to ache so badly.

The two regained their serious demeanor and, to Riku's surprised, motioned for him to follow them, _"The Gummi Ship's by the falls."_ Donald called back to him as they made their way out of the castle. Riku drew the limp body in his arms closer; he wouldn't let Sora touch the floor again.

Donald and Goofy battled their way through the masses of Heartless, which only seemed to grow more numerous the closer they got to the exit. Riku had to remain as far away from the fights as possible in order to keep both Sora and himself safe. He couldn't fight holding Sora and he wasn't about to put him down, not for even a second. Once they reached the falls Riku figured this would be the end of him. Donald and Goofy would take Sora and leave him there. He'd be alone again. But the two were so involved in preparing the ship that he slipped on without a word said to him. Even on the way to Traverse Town they all kept silent.

"_I've done all I can, he just needs to rest and let his wounds heal now." _ Came the soft, gentle voice of Aerith. Everyone was gathered into one hotel room in the Second District of Traverse Town. Leon stood leaning against a wall with his arms crossed and his usual look of authority mixed with just a little concern. Yuffie was cross-legged on the floor next to him, a look of relief on her face. Donald and Goofy now moved towards the on which Sora's body lay.

"_So.." _Aerith began, looking to Donald and Goofy_, "How did this happed?_" Everyone's gaze followed Donald and Goofy's to the boy tucked away in a corner of the room, a knee pulled to his chest and half his face hidden behind it.

_Why do they have to look at me? I didn't want to hurt him. _The boy narrowed his eyes; it aggravated him to have everyone starting, and he turned his head away. Aerith went over to Donald and Goofy to listen to their story softly. Yuffie soon joined them and Leon just listened form where he was.

In spite of the attempt to keep their story-telling quiet, Riku could hear every word and he couldn't take it. He stood up off the floor and walked out on to the balcony which looked down to a back alley. A few staring eyes followed him out with an exchange of concerned looks.

Riku went down on his knees and let his head fall onto the railing bars. Why did they have to villanize him? He wasn't some embodiment of the essence of evil; just a kid looking for adventure, for a way out. And look where that landed him. How could he ever get Sora to forgive him? How could he _ask _Sora to forgive him? What he did was unspeakable, even if he wasn't himself, that's no excuse. Riku was fully prepared to accept his fate.

Of course, he didn't know the dark plans fate had in store for him. A shadow slowly formed on the ground next to Riku without his notice. Two yellow, glowing points lit up in the darkness and it started to take a three dimensional shape until a Shadow stood next to Riku. If he hadn't been too busy deciding wether or not to slam his head against the railing to see if that would take his mind off the current situation, Riku would have noticed the creature next to him. But he didn't, and the Heartless took advantage of this and lunged at him. He only noticed the thing's stench in time to look up and pull back enough to manage with just a few light scratches form the Shadow's strange, deformed fingers. He summoned the Soul Eater and quickly cut down the Heartless, but as he looked over the balcony into the alley he saw that it was like a void of darkness with tiny pairs of lucid eyes staring up at him. He back stepped into the room, the others all looking at him questioningly, _"We've got company." _He announced as various kinds of Heartless jumped up onto the balcony, slinking into the room.

Everyone's weapons flashed out and the battle commenced. Riku pulled back behind everyone and stopped next to Sora, his sword ready to attack, _"I'll protect you this time, I promise." _Riku whispered as he attacked the Heartless that had managed their way around the others.

**End Chapter 1**


	2. Escaping Shadows

1_Yay! Chapter two finally!! If you were one of the people who read my story before this chapter(which I sure there are few of you)please go back and reread the first chapter, I did add quite a bit to it. I have to thank Kuramasgirl13 and Ed for being my first reviewers!Huggles Thank you so much!! And, since I didn't do a disclaimer in the last chapter I supose I have to do one now....but this is the only one! I'm too lazy for others. So, here it is: I Don't Own Kingdom Hears! Sigh Now, on with the story, I hope you like it. Comments are very much liked so, please review. But don't flame too bad...okie?

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**Chapter 2:Escaping Shadows**

After it was apparent that the swarm of Heartless wouldn't subside, Leon and Yuffie wedged themselves against the door. The only Heartless that could get in now were the Shadows, who were able to slip under the door after melting into puddles, and even they were beginning to lessen.

"_They must be after Sora again."_ Yuffie said with a great deal of effort. Though the Heartles had stopped attacking, they continued to push against the door in an attempt to get in.

"_It's not safe here any more. We have to get him out. The Heartless aren't going into the First District, take him to Cid's shop. It's our best bet." _Riku stared with a baffled look for as Leon said this, he was looking directly at him. It was obvious this task was given to him. Donald and Goofy were still fighting off the few remaining Shadows and Aerith certainly couldn't carry Sora by herself. But why were they trusting him?

"_Hurry already!" We can't hold them much longer."_ Leon shouted, snapping Riku out of his stupor. He shook his head to clear his mind, then turned to Sora and carefully picked him up again. He went to the hall door and Aerith stepped in behind him.

"_I'll go with you."_ She said, receiving a nod from Riku. She wasn't the greatest fighter, but she was better than nothing, The two peeked out into the hallway for any Heartless, but found it to be eerily empty. As they walked through the building though, they kept their guard up; Heartless always seemed to pop up out of nowhere and at the worst of times.

Outside the hotel, they were unfortunately greeted by many sets of staring, golden eyes. They were blocked on both sides and fighting through was out of the question. How would they get out of this?

Aerith suddenly grabbed Riku's arm and dragged him behind her, almost causing him to lose his grip on Sora, as she ran towards the balustrade. She stepped on to it and only let go of Riku's armas she jumped down into the square. This allowed Riku just enough time to regain his balance, step up onto the balustrade, and jump back off next to Aerith.

There was no time to rest though. The Heartless moved in right behind them. Aerith grabbed Riku, who was much more prepared this time, and they ran towards the Third District. They turned the corner, but only made it half way down the alley before the Heartless began appearing in front of the door to the next district. Both turned to look behind them and found a mob of the creatures barring their escape path that way as well.

Riku growled to himself and looked for a way out. He wouldn't give up, not without a fight. There was a low mummer around him, but he simply disregarded it, thinking it was just Aerith speaking her thoughts. Which he was sure resonated with his own of ways to get out of this situation. But then there was another one, more audible. It almost sounded as if someone was muttering his name. He suddenly felt the body in his arms move against his tight grip and Riku looked down at Sora's face. Slowly, bright blue orbs opened to meet his with a questioning look.

Riku was overjoyed. He knew Sora was going to be okay now, all thanks to Aerith, but her reassuring words couldn't have amounted to the relief that one moment gave him. Everything seemed to just stop existing; the Heartless, the danger, even Aerith. It was just him and Sora. Riku kneeled down and gently set Sora on the ground, keeping his arm behind him to keep him sitting up.

"_Sora, you're awake. Thank god."_ He could have broken down into tears then and there, overwhelmed by some emotion he couldn't name. The look on Sora's face wasn't helping either. It was so innocent and confused and....just pure.

Sora cocked his head slightly and muttered, _"Riku?"_ Almost started by the weak and shaky sound in his voice. He gently touched Riku's scratched face and gave a look of concern, _"What happened to your face?" _

Riku's head dropped, surrounded by his silvery locks again, as he started laughing lightly. A tear rolled down his cheek and touched the hand blocking its way. Sora felt the warmth against his fingertips and wit worried him, but before he could word his concerns Aerith interrupted the moment.

"_Boys. The Heartless."_ She looked down at the two worriedly, and anxious tone in her voice. Sora looked around and, for the first time, noticed the dark beasts surrounding them. By this time they had moved in on them, forming a tight circle and they were simply staring expectantly at the small group.

"_What's going on?_" Sora cried in a panicked voice. Riku grabbed Sora's hand and lifted his face, revealing a reassuring smile. He stood up, which caused him to have to look down at Sora.

"_There's no time to explain. Can you stand?" _Sora then realized that he was hurting. Really bad. It seemed that every ince was stiff, sore, or just screaming at him for one reason or another. Nevertheless, her stood. Rather painfully, but he was still standing. He flashed his famous grin to Riku, who couldn't help but smirk back.

"_Okay then. Aerith, help him. I'll cut a path through the Heartless so you two can get to the next district. Go to Cid's from there. I'll stay back and hopefully distract them." _Aerith nodded and put Sora's arm around her neck to support him. As for Sora's thoughts, this wasn't a good idea to him. He opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped as Riku's finger pressed against his lips. He noticed that Riku's face was very close to his and he was getting a stern, determined look from his friend's aqua optics.

"_I'll be fine."_ was all he said before the Soul Eater was in his hands and he was making his first strike to carve a path through the darkness.

Sora stood between Riku and Aerith who had her staff out, though the Heartless kept a safe distance away from her so she didn't have to use it. They made their way to the Third Districe door quickly, with_ Riku _slashing furiously at the Heartless and all. Riku pulled open the door and looked to the two behind him with a quick, _"Hurry."_ Before shoving them through the threshold. Sora flipped around, an act only so slightly painful, and half raised his hand. He wanted to pulled Riku through the door with him, away from the danger. But all he could do was stare at Riku, whose back was turned, and the wave of darkness he knew was going to swallow his friend up. Then the door closed.

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_For those of you who haven't played Final Fantasy 7, Aerith uses a staff, that's where I got that from. Just wanted to let those of you know._


	3. Deep in Our Hearts

_Ahhh! My story's being noticed! I glomp thee, Emilee for your review, it's much appreciated. As well as_ _yours, Kuramasgirl and Ed. Now look, don't get all excited because I updated within like…a week or something. I have exams next week so I'm probably going to be busy studying (Lie…) but I'll try to write as much as I can to make my undying fans happy (feels like she's got a horde of fans even though it's not that many) Anyways, here's chapter 3, hope you like. As always, please review and tell me what you think! Oh, and Brooke, FYI, I changed some stuff after you read it so you might want to just glance back over it for the changes. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 3: Deep in Our Hearts**

And there they were, waiting. It seemed as if they knew every way of escape and blocked them all. Where were these Heartless coming from anyways? There just seemed to be no end to them. Aerith had given up hope now. No matter how hard they tried, they just couldn't get away from these monsters. But just then, as all seemed lost, the Heartless looked around at each other then walked away, almost as if they were disappointed. Sora and Aerith both stared in bewilderment. They had just walked right into the hands of the Heartless and they were just walking away now? But why?

Aerith was the first to get her wits about her and she looked down at Sora, _"We should keep going. The others will be waiting for us."_ Sora returned her look, his own expression one of worry.

_"But, what about Riku?"_ Aerith gave him a kind smile and he almost felt a little better….Almost.

_"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be there waiting too. He can handle things."_ He gave her a not-so-real smile and nodded. Her words couldn't quell the anxious feeling in his heart. They started on their way to Cid's shop.

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There was a smirk on his face as he looked over the sea of writhing black creatures surrounding him. It was time for his revenge. Riku wouldn't let the darkness get away with what it made him do to Sora and these Heartless would be the victims of his pay back. 

Their stare was rather unnerving though. He felt frozen by their piercing gaze. They took small steps in towards Riku until they were right at his feet. But they didn't attack, just stared like begging dogs. Riku wished he could have shoved the monsters away from him; something about them sent a shiver down his spine, but nothing worked, he couldn't move. Then a soft, deep voice echoed through the district.

_"Give in to the darkness. Receive its invincible strength."_ Riku broke from his frozen trance as his head flipped around, searching for the source of this voice.

_"Who's there?"_ He commanded, forgetting about the Heartless. The creatures at his feet started clawing at his legs while others in the mammoth crowd leapt towards him. Riku took out the few in front of him with the Soul Eater but couldn't turn around fast enough to prevent the ones behind him from latching onto his back. He stumbled forward from their force and the Heartless grabbed his hands, pulling him to the concrete.

_"Open you heart to darkness once again."_ The voice beckoned again. Riku refused to obey this command though. The Heartless has started to pile on top of him, but somehow he still managed to bring his feet under himself. The Soul Eater was still in his hand, so he gripped it tightly and cut through the Heartless in front of him, knocking most of the ones on his back off in the process.

_"Never!"_ Riku shouted as he stood back up and slashed at the creatures that had finally started to fight back. He muttered under his breath, "I have a promise to keep." As if telling this mysterious voice, but reminding himself of that as well.

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_"It's been too long. He would have been here by now."_ Sora cried, giving a pleading look to his six companions. Aerith had been right, when they arrived at Cid's shop everyone was already there. Everyone but Riku, that is. Sora didn't want to go along with Riku's plan in the first place and it was bad enough he had to leave him behind, but the fact that him and Aerith hadn't been attacked, or even followed, by a single Heartless made that anxious feeling in his stomach much worse. 

_"It's too dangerous, we're not going back."_ Leon said coldly, not even looking at the pathetic excuse for a Keybearer pleading before him.

_"But, what if he's hurt and needs help?"_ There was no answer; nobody would even look at him now. He could tell Donald, Goofy, and Aerith wanted to help him, he could see it on their faces, but they just didn't have the courage to go against what the others said.

_"We can't just leave him!"_ Still nothing. Sora couldn't believe this. Did no one but him care if Riku lived or not? He growled angrily and the next moment he was out the door with the Keyblade in his hand.

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No matter how many Heartless he destroyed, they were simply replaced by another. He would tire long before their numbers even seemed to get smaller. And if knowing that fact wasn't enough, this mysterious voice continued to tell him to surrender his soul to the Heartless and become like them, which didn't sound too pleasant to Riku at all. 

_"Why do you continue to deny that which you desire the most?"_ Riku hissed angrily. He didn't desire the darkness; he didn't need it. But a smile found its way onto his face, he could sense aggravation in that last comment. It would seem that the voice was getting just as tired of repeating itself as he was of listening to it.

_"Just shut up already."_ Riku replied, still hacking away at the Heartless, which was starting to take it toll on his strength. The air suddenly filled with a wave of tension and the creatures cowered away from Riku. He would have scoffed over-confidently at this had the ground not suddenly turned into whirlpools of black, blue and purple colors. This looked all too familiar, much too alike to that night back on Destiny Islands.

_"If you insist on resisting, then I will force you to submit."_ The voice growled, not sounding in the least bit happy with the decision it had to come to. Shadowy tendrils, which looked something like mist, began to rise from the mixing colors. This wasn't any smog though, because when the dark wisps swiftly lashed out at Riku they were obviously solid enough to wrap around him. He soon found himself constrained, these thing clinging to his wrists, ankles, and waist as well as his neck. He tried to pull against the tendrils, but when he did they tightened and he was starting to find it hard to breathe after a while, so he was forced to his hands and knees.

_"What are you doing?"_ Riku shouted, taken back by the panicked tone in his voice. Was he afraid of the darkness, or maybe what might happen once it took control again? The wispy shadows began to gather together and started wrapping around him; around his arms, his face, everywhere. The voice laughed, a cold, empty laugh that chilled Riku to the bone. He couldn't take any more, he was just too…. scared. He clenched his eyes shut and hoped that it would end soon.

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Sora threw open the door to the Second District a most determined look on his face as he ran down the stairs into the square. There wasn't a single Heartless in sight and he hoped beyond hope that everything was okay. He turned the ally that lead to the Third District and froze dead in his tracks. There was a heap of writhing black tentacles lying in his path. They seemed to be gathering and then melding as if trying to take a shape. 

Sora stepped back as this thing began to rise and he grabbed the Keyblade in both hands. This lump did actually start to form something and when it was done it resembled a dog of sorts. One made of melting black wax that it for it dripped blobs of darkness and where ever it stepped it left behind dark puddles. It was obvious this creature was a Heartless because in spite of the oozing forehead it was on, the red outlined heart that almost every Heartless bore was visible. The creature turned towards Sora and he was entranced by the pair of lucid blue points staring at him, so unlike the golden ones of a normal Heartless.

The creature's lip curled back into a snarl and a low growl started in its throat. It began to take slow, almost unwilling, it seemed to Sora, steps towards him. Sora followed its lead and for every cautious step it took towards him, he took one step back. The Heartless suddenly rushed at him and he had just enough time to spin out of its line of attack. In doing so though, he caused himself to lose his balance, giving the Heartless a perfect opportunity. The creature's jaws clamped down on his arm and Sora winced, expecting pain to rush through him. But there was none. Instead, his arm felt very cold and he could tell it was on the verge of becoming numb.

Sora tried to pull his arm out of the creature's mouth, but this resulted in it tossing its head, which actually caused sharp pings of pain throughout his arm. Sora growled softly to himself and looked into the Heartless' eyes, hoping to maybe intimidate it with a stern glare. His gaze began to soften though as he stared into those unnatural eyes. If this had been any other Heartless, he would have found those eyes to be empty and devoid of any emotion. But this wasn't any other Heartless and its eyes weren't missing emotion, Sora caught glimpses of sorrow and regret and fear in the blue lights.

It was then, staring into those eyes, that Sora realized what it was he was fighting. It wasn't some kind of new Heartless. In fact, it wasn't something new at all; he had fought against it many times before. Usually as a friend, but all too recently an enemy.

_"Riku!"_ Sora cried, finally realizing that this Heartless was his childhood friend. The Heartless jerked its head at Sora's sudden outburst, obviously startled. Sora winced but knew he had to grin and bare it if he wanted to get Riku back. Though, he wasn't sure how he knew it was Riku. Something deep within his heart told him and that was all he needed.

He dropped the Keyblade and slowly raised his hand towards the Heartless' snout. The Heartless stepped back defensively to this, which only ended up dragging Sora along with it. Though the creature's movements were causing Sora a lot of pain, he didn't stop moving his hand towards its snout until he was touching its strange, melting skin.

_"Riku, please wake up."_ He muttered, looking up at it with a kind smile, trying to hide the pain he was feeling. The creature began to growl and it arched its back up, continuing to try and move away from Sora. He let his head fall gently against the Heartless' nose, which only intensified its growls, but at least it had stopped moving back.

_"I know you're there, Riku. You have to come back, me and Kairi still need you to protect us."_ The growls stopped and Sora found himself sitting on the ground, Riku lying in front of him curled into a tight ball and shivering.

_"Riku?"_ Sora muttered as he reached out to touch Riku's arm. He gasped as his hand fell onto Riku's bare skin. What had happened? Riku was so cold and Sora realized that he could clearly see Riku's breath as white puffs of mist. Sora felt something grab his wrist suddenly and Riku's eyes shot open. Sora looked down at him worriedly.

_"Are you alright?"_ Sora asked, but he didn't get a response. After he figured out where he was and whose wrist he was holding, Riku's panicked look faded, but it was replaced with a more serious, sorrowful one. He started to pull Sora closer to him by his wrist, but then he just tackled him into a tight embrace. Sora was just so warm and he was so cold, he couldn't help it. Besides, the memory of the darkness taking over him was all too fresh in his mind. He needed to do something to steady himself and hugging Sora seemed to be working. Sora just sat there, unsure of what to do and a confused and startled look on his ever-so-slightly-blushing face.

Riku glanced around once he seemed to have stopped shivering. His gaze fell on the Keyblade still lying on the ground and, though he couldn't remember anything after the darkness took over, he somehow knew what had happened. He looked away from the Keybalde and buried his face into Sora's shirt,

_"I'm sorry."_ Even though Riku whispered this and his voice was muffled by his shirt, Sora still heard him and he looked down at the top of Riku's head questioningly,

_"For what? You didn't do anything."_ Sora said with a soft smile. He didn't blame Riku for anything; it was all the darkness that had done those things.

_"I….I broke my promise. I couldn't protect you."_ Riku clenched his eyes and pulled Sora into an even tighter embrace, which made the other boy rather uncomfortable. He was trying so hard not to cry at his failure, but he knew that if he pulled away right now the front of Sora's shirt would be damp. Why did this have to happen? And not just once, but twice. Was it possible for Riku to keep his promise?

Sora put his hands on Riku's shoulders and pushed him away. At first Riku was afraid to look at Sora, but when he did look up he saw that Sora had that stupid smile on his face and, like usual, Riku couldn't help but smirk back. Sora started to say something, but was cut off by a strange sound behind him. Both boys turned to look at the fountain in the square. A very large black spot was sitting in front of and it soon something began to emerge from it. It didn't take long for Sora to recognize the thing coming from the black spot as a Darkside.

He turned back to Riku only to find him already standing and the Soul Eater in his hands.

_"You go on and head for Cid's shop. Everyone's waiting, right?"_ Sora jumped up and grabbed the Keyblade, then marched right back over to Riku's side.

_"No way! I'm not leaving you behind again. And besides, if you get to make a promise the so do I and I'm going to promise to always be there when you need me, righting right by your side."_ Sora said confidently, scowling at Riku. He was about to protest, but something about Sora's face made him smile and he just shook his head.

_"Alright then, but my promise comes before yours, so if you get into trouble I get to push you out of the way."_ Sora grinned and then the two looked at the Darkside with serious, determined faces and charged in to take it down.

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_"It's no use, the door's not coming open."_ Donald whined, falling down onto the ground. Everyone had pitched in to try and open the door to the Second District so that they could follow Sora, but somehow it had been locked of jammed or something. Yuffie, Aerith, and Cid had gone to check the Third District door, but they must not have been having any luck either because they were still there. 

_"I told that kid it was dangerous, it's his own fault if he dies."_ Leon muttered as he leaned against the wall net to the door. Goofy, who was propped up against the door and panting, looked up at him angrily.

_"How can you say that? Sora's you friend, you should care whether he dies of not."_ Goofy suddenly fell back as the door opened against his weight. Leon and Donald glanced around the door and saw something that made everyone breathe a sight of relief.

Sora and Riku were walking towards the door, leaning against each other for support. The battle against that Darkside had been difficult and they did walk out of it looking a little worse for ware, but at least they were alive. Sora grinned and waved to everyone and Riku smirked.

_"Hey, what took you guys so long, the party's over."_ Sora said as Yuffie, Aerith and Cid, who had obviously gotten though the Third District door, came running towards them, shouting something he couldn't understand. Leon just shook his head and Donald and Goof ran up to Sora, nearly knocking him over at they showered him with relived hugs like it was the last time they'd ever see him again.

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_I'm so sorry for all the rulers, but it was the only wayI could figure out how to seperate all the different parts. Now, I'm just a little curious....that part with Riku and the dark…er, wisp things; did that seem a little….well, maybe kinky, to anyone? Or is it just me? (Laughs nervously) anyways, please do review; I do have to say that I think this is the best chapter so far. Get a little RikuXSora fluffyness…not really, but I think so! So there! _


	4. Understanding

1_This chapter sucks! That's all I can say about it. I was going to add more interesting stuff, but it turned out being sooooooo long and I didn't want to set anyone's hopes high that my chapters will get longer...cause I don't think they will be. I really hope this chapter doesn't bore you to death; I know it nearly killed me to type it up. Anyways, I promise to make the next chapter much better, that means it'll be a while until the chapter goes up, but you'd rather wait and have a really good chapter than rush me and have a repeat of this one, right? I'll understand if you flame me over this one, I don't think some of the characters are OOC, but that could just be me. I must thank the reviewers! So RikuRox(Glomps just because the sexyman's name is in her username) Thank you! And also, I have to acknowledge Kuramasgirl13 again because she always reads my chapters before I put them up and I know it must be hard to read my chicken scratch handwriting(though this chapter was typed) and for helping me with the title so, thank you so much! Now, try not to fall asleep while reading and maybe you'll enjoy it! Please review the crappiness and I'm sorry that it is so crappy.

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**Chapter 4: Understanding**

Everyone was finally in Cid's shop now. And with everyone meaning Riku as well, Sora could sit grinning happily while listening to everyone scold him over his rash actions knowing Riku was sitting safely next to him, tuning every word out.

"_So, what do we do now?" _Donald's voice reached Sora's ears and he turned to the duck, cocking his head in a questioning fashion.

"_What do you mean, we still have to find Kairi and King Mickey." _Was Sora's isn't-it-obvious reply. They had come so close to getting Kairi back, they couldn't stop now.

"_Yeah, but where are we going to start? We haven't found any signs of the King and I doubt Kairi will be at Hollow Bastion, not after what happened last time we were there."_

"_You're wrong." _Riku was finally listening to the conversation and decided to put in his two cents, _"There's no one left to take her out of there now, since Maleficent's gone; and she can't go anywhere without her heart." _Sora stared at Riku, taking in all that he had said. So Kairi _was_ at Hollow Bastion. Then they had to go.

"_To Hollow Bastion then." _Sora announced in a commanding voice. He stood up and looked around at his companions with a let's-get-goin', yet if-that's-alright-with-you expression. He wanted to make sure everyone agreed before he stormed through the accessory shop doors again.

Donald and Goofy both jumped up as well and gave shouts of agreement. Riku just smirked, nodding his head slightly. He couldn't be all too enthusiastic about this; he felt that Kairi had caused most of this to happen in the first place. Before, she was his living proof that there were other worlds and that only strengthened his urge to leave the islands. She had come between him and Sora, causing them to slowly separate. She had turned into the object of Sora's search and that had only made Maleficent's words seem more sensible, because of that Riku had actually believed that Sora didn't care about him any more. And in the end, she had caused him to accept the darkness. In spite of this, Riku still couldn't hate her, or even dislike her; it was all done indirectly, she wouldn't have wanted any of this to happen, he knew.

Sora grinned, content with everyone's answer, and turned to the door. But Aerith and Yuffie were standing in the way, looking quite innocent, which gave the impression that they were up to something.

"_I know your friends mean a lot to yo all, and I can understand why you'll say no at first, but-" _Aerith now took over. It was all too coordinated, like they had been planning this for weeks,_ "We think you might need to take a break. You've been searching so hard and for so long, and your wounds haven't had time to heal completely, that last battle not helping in the least certainly. Maybe you should rest for a while, somewhere you won't have to fight or worry, just relax." _She sounded like an annoyingly irresistible salesgirl, but her charm wasn't going to work on Sora. Now that he knew Kairi had to be a Hollow Bastion he wasn't going to waste time and nothing was going to stop him from going

"_No way! I'm not going to stop until I get Kairi and her heart back. Besides, all the worlds have been connected, there isn't a single place that doesn't have Heartless, not even the ones I've sealed."_

"_We know that. Besides, we were thinking that Merlin could do something. You know, use his magic to send you somewhere, or in the least create a place you can go. It might not be real, but maybe he could even send you back to your islands." _Yuffie said, both her and Aerith giving pleading looks. Sora had to admit, the thought of seeing Destiny Islands again was almost overwhelming, but still...Kairi. Before he could make up his mind, which was almost set form the start, Riku stood up and walked up next to him.

"_I think it's a good idea." _He stated, giving Sora a reassuring smirk, _"Kairi won't be going anywhere." _He had a point, but Sora still wasn't completely convinced and his brows knitted together with concern. Riku shook his head and threw an arm around the other boy's neck, flicking him in the head, _"Don't worry so much, why pass up this chance. I know you want to see home again." _He could tell Sora missed the islands and knew that the rest would do him good. Though, he himself didn't really want to go back, not after he had wanted so badly and tried so hard to get away. That's not to say he wouldn't gladly trade the events that had occurred after leaving so everything could return to normal again. That way he wouldn't have caused Sora so much pain; that way _he _wouldn't be in so much pain.

"_I guess...you're right, there isn't really any danger for her to get into now." _His words came a little hesitantly, but he gave a smile that said he finally agreed and Aerith and Yuffie quietly cheered at their success.

"_Great, we can use the door to the Third District, Merlin's house is close to there and we'll be able to avoid and Heartless pretty easily." _Yuffie said, slipping out the door and holding it open for everyone. Cid and Leon were the only ones to stay back; it wasn't their idea so they weren't going to get involved.

It was an easy walk to Merlin's beat up little shack, they never caught sight of even one Heartless. The only problems occurred when they actually reached the cave and they had to cross those constantly moving rocks. Goofy hit the water twice before finally making it across and Sora nearly fell in himself; thankfully, Riku was there to catch his wrist and pull him back on balance. Sora noticed that Riku had been sticking right next to him ever since they left the accessory shop and he was just a little curious as to why. Usually Riku

would be up in the front leading the way or, if he didn't know where they were going, he'd be the last one. But here he was, standing next to him in the middle of it all. Maybe Riku was more serious about his promise than Sora had originally thought. Inside the house it was empty of like, but all of Merlin's furniture and what-not was there so he had to be nearby.

"_Well, guess we'll just have to make ourselves at home until Merlin gets here." _Yuffie plopped herself into the chair sitting on the raised platform in the center of the one-room house and kicked her feet up onto the table in front of it. Aerith sat down on the bed and Riku and Sora took their places on the stairs.

Might as well pass the time with a little conversation, Riku decided, leaning back and propping himself up on one of the higher steps behind him with his arms, _"So, you know this Merlin guy?" _Sora, being a couple steps below Riku, rolled back against the steps to see the other boy better; though it was a rather uncomfortable spot since one of the stairs' edge was digging into his back.

"_Yeah," _He replied with a short nod, _"He's a wizard, from another world I think. He can be a little absent-minded some times and it looks like his magic's out of control, but there's nothing to worry about." _He flashed Riku a grin and the other just shook his head with an amused smirk.

"_Well, that makes me feel a **whole** lot better about this. I just might have to go now." _Sora sat up and spun around, trying to sit cross-legged without falling over on the narrow step.

"_What do you mean? You're the one who **wanted** to go. You'd better not be losing your nerve." _Sora gave his friend a serious, yet at the same time comical-looking pout and folded his arms across his chest, _"You are coming with me, right?"_

Riku stood and patted Sora's spiky head,which ended up getting him shoved off the stairs, _"Yeah, don't worry, I'm going. Why should I pass up this opportunity to see home again?" _He could have answered his own question with a number of responses, but the one reason he had for going outweighed all the ones for not' if it made Sora happy for

him to be there, he'd be there.

"_So, where's this wizard anyways? I don't plan on waiting all day." _And as if in response a loud explosion thundered above them and a panel in the ceiling slowly descended to the floor, the blue-robedstanding on it with splintered pieces of wood scattered around him.

"_Chairs..." _he grumbled, rolling up his long, flared sleeves and pulling out a skinny stick, which he pointed at the splinters, _"don't know why they have to get an attitude." _The wood began to glow and the put itself back into a couple of chairs. Merlin sighed and walked over to his chair on the platform with hopes of collapsing into it. Of course he didn't notice the half asleep ninja already occupying it. He sat down right on top of Yuffie and she let out a yelp, jumping and throwing the unsuspecting wizard to the floor. She looked down at Merlin, a little surprised to find it was him on the floor, but nonetheless glared at him.

"_What's the big idea old man? You trying to squish me?" _Merlin stood up and brushed himself off, glancing around his tiny house to find a grinning Sora and some other boy looking at him with a raised brow and somewhat amused expression.

"_Well, youngster," _He directed his direction back to Yuffie, _"If I'm not mistaken, you were sitting in my chair, and you are in my house, therefore I would have a right to sit on you if I wished, I suppose." _He calmly walked back over to his chair, which was now Yuffie-free, and sat down.

"_I don't think so!"_ Yuffie snapped, her foot stomping on the floor and a balled fist threatening to do an uppercut right to the wizard's chin. Merlin shook his head and, when Yuffie's mouth opened to make a retort, his hand shot up, silencing her before she started.

"_I can see you're here for a more important reason than bickering so out with it then." _His eyes fell on Sora and the boy looked around confusedly for someone behind him. When it was clear the old man's gaze was on him, he laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head nervously while mumbling inaudibly. He was finding it hard to word this request the right way and, for some reason, it felt weird asking for it. Maybe because he still wasn't sure about going through with this; he just couldn't stop worrying about Kairi. Riku and Yuffie simultaneously rolled their eyes and shook their heads, releasing a sigh at Sora's antics.

"_What he's trying to say," Yuffie muttered, still a little angered about being sat on, "Is that he's been pushing himself too hard and now he needs a Heartless-free place to take a break. Think you can manage it, old man?"_ Merlin crossed his arms and his eyes closed, running through all the magic he knew that might help. Everyone was staring in anticipation, which he could feel and it was slowly chipping away at his concentration. He growled softly as he found it harder and harder to think of spells. Then his eyes popped open, nearly sending everyone through the roof, so transfixed on him that the sudden movement startled them.

"_Well," _Their hearts stopped fluttering like crazed birds and they stared intently at Merlin again, _"there is something that I can do to help you with what you want. You won't actually be sent anywhere, at least physically anyways, but, more like your spirit will. It will essentially be like a dream; your body will remain here in a dormant state while your mind will be where ever it is you go. And unlike a dream, you'll have complete control over your actions." _

"_That's perfect." _Yuffie chimed, looking to Aerith, _"What do you think?" _She smiled broadly and nodded in agreement, _"It'll give his body time to recover while he can still have fun."_ Aerith said, hoping it would satisfy Sora. The boy looked from Aerith to Yuffie to Merlin then Riku, who simply shrugged and muttered, _"It doesn't matter to me." _Sora smiled at his friend's carefree response and returned his gaze to the wizard.

"_Well, since everyone likes the idea, we'll go with that one." _Merlin stood up from his oh-so-comfy chair a little reluctantly and once again rolled up his sleeves.

"_Then let's begin."_


	5. Mixing Colors

_Alright_ _you people, you'd better like this chapter, cause I do!(Grins) Yes, that's right, we get to the good stuff. If you don't like the SoraXRiku pairing, you'd better stop right now! You will notice that I upped the rating. That's because...well, I want to cuss dammit(laughs nervously)! And I guess cause the SXR stuff, the fact that Kuramasgirl keeps pointing out certain sentences that have meanings different from what I was thinking(and that this chapter has ones that are supposed to have underlying meanings...heh) and if the next chapter doesn't have anything worth making this story pg-13 then the last one better! I'm sorry if the strange amount of alliteration annoys you(I know it does for me) but it just turned out that way so...yeah. I thank Chrono for the review and I'm glad you think that the last chapter was good...though I still don't. Anyways, please read and enjoy, you should cause even my holy-Christian, guys-only-go-with-girls friend said she liked it O.O!_

**Chapter 5: Mixed Colors**

"_Now, this spell's only going to last for a day, so don't be surprised to suddenly find yourself back here. And, you should know that the Heartless will still be able to sense you, so there's no stopping them from taking you hearts." _Merlin looked down at Sora and Riku with a very serious expression. Sora nodded, acknowledging what the wizard said and confirming that, even though his heart could be stolen, he was still going to go through with this. He turned his attention to Donald and Goofy, _"Are you sure you're not going to come?"_

"_If the Heartless can still take your heart, we'll be here to make sure they don't." _Goofy said, both him and Donald nodding in a triumphant manner, and the duck added in, _"Besides, we're not the ones who ran off and got hurt."_

Sora laughed and smiled gratefully at his friends. It was good to know they cared. He turned to Riku and grinned,_ "Guess it'll just be you and me then."_

Riku smirked back, confidently stating, _"Good, that means no one to get in my way of beating you at everything again." _Sora's grin was traded with a smirk and a competitive flare sparked between them.

"_Well then, go sit down somewhere so we can begin; preferably the bed, we don't want you falling asleep only to hit you thick skulls on something on the way down." _Aerith removed herself from the mattress to be replaced by the two. One boy took one side and the remaining space was taken by the other.

"_Alright then, your island home is where you want to go, right?" _Sora nodded and, after a moment of unresponsiveness from Riku which Merlin just figured was because Sora had already answered for him, he pulled out his wand. He muttered a few words under his breath and the stick began to glow. A river of golden sparkles emitted from it and surrounded the two boys. Almost instantly Sora began to feel the effects of the spell and he stared at the gold flow with half lidded eyes, looking as if he were under some medication that had caused him to get drowsy. Riku's stubborn nature wouldn't allow him to go out like Sora and for a moment it seemed as if the spell wouldn't work, but eventually he submitted to the magic and both were sleeping soundly soon enough.

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The sun was blaring overhead and gulls cried softly as they sat in the sky, gentle zephyrs caressing their wings and keeping them airborne. Two pairs of eyes slowly opened to meet their matches; a sky of the purest blue and a sea of a beautiful aquamarine hue. So they were back on Destiny Islands. 

Riku found himself propped up against the base of the crooked Papou tree with Sora right next to him. The younger boy's face turned to him, his eyes hazy like he'd just woken up, After a moment he smiled brightly and in the cheeriest of tones chimed, "'Morning, Riku." He smiled back and gave a nod in his own for of a greeting.

The wind picked up slightly, tugging at their hair and carrying with it a salty ocean scent. Riku was amazed at how much this place resembled their home; every detail was in place, the seaside shack, the dock, the lonesome waterfall, he could even make out the vines decorating the entrance to the secret place. And yet, though it might have looked like home, he knew it wasn't because it didn't feel like home. He wondered if Sora noticed; that they were the only people and, even though the aura of the whole place was pleasant and serene, it lacked the usual cheeriness the island always had before.

The brown haired boy stood up and stretched, yawning widely before looking over the scene around him, _"Wow, it really is home, isn't it?"_ He gave another famous smile and Riku thought he would due then and there. Seeing the happiness radiating from Sora's face made him feel like he was in an endless bliss. He felt like he was keeping his promise for once. He stood up and stretched a little himself, feeling small twinges of stiffness, and nodded, _"Yeah, it is."_ He smiled lightly and his eyes lifted to the azure sky above.

He suddenly felt himself hit the ground and a light weight pinning him to it by his shoulders. He looked ahead of himself and a baffled expression crossed his face when his eyes found Sora's face hovering over his. The younger boy grinned childishly as she shouted, _"You're it!" _then jumped up and ran off. Riku sat there staring at the sky dumbly. You're it? What did he mean? He sat up and looked questioningly at Sora, who had stopped running half way across the bridge to the main part of the island.

"_What, don't tell me you've forgotten hot to play tag. We haven't been away from the islands **that **long." _There was a mocking smile on his face and amusement played in his eyes. Tag, that's right, they used to play it all the time. The confused look on Riku's face slowly curled into a smirk and he swiftly jumped off the ground then lunged himself into a sprint after Sora. The other gave a yelp, not expecting his friend to recover so quickly, and ran into the shack. Riku was amused by Sora's attempt to escape him and, after he crossed the bridge, leapt down onto the beach below then waited in front of the shack's other door for Sora.

The door swung open and Riku jumped through with arms reaching forward in hopes of connecting with Sora, but they didn't. And because Riku had been relying on Sora's weight to be there and hold him up, he stumbled into the shack. He managed to gain his balance before all his dignity was lost as he heard snickering behind him and the other boy now heading for the stairs to the shack's upper door. But he was stopped as a hand slammed against the wall behind him on either side. Sora squeaked reflexively, though he was laughing playfully, and his arms went up in front of his face, awaiting the tag that would proclaim him 'it'. When his giggles finally stopped and he was still waiting for the tag, he noticed Riku's slightly heavy and quickened breaths sounded rather close. But they weren't heavy and quick just because of the short chase, as Sora figured. It was also because Riku had realized the situation he had put himself in and how vulnerable Sora suddenly was. He wanted to do something, but what he didn't know; the feelings were so similar to something he'd felt before, but it was much stronger and all too confusing.

When Sora had gotten tired of waiting for Riku to tag him, he raised his head and moved his arms only to catch his breath in his lungs and push himself up against the wall, a light pink flush coloring his cheeks. Their faces were so close he could feel Riku's suddenly very loud breaths against him face. He suppressed a startled squeak as Riku slowly moved closer and though he tried to back up, he was already as far back on the wall as he was going to get. Their foreheads met first and the older boy pushed the younger's face up so that their noses were now connected too.

This entire time Sora had been unable to see Riku's face because his bangs were in the way, but now that they were so close he could see right through them and he wasn't sure how to feel about what he saw. Those so unnameably colored eyes seemed so empty, yet at the same time full of strangely gentle expressions; serenity, repose, and love...Was there really love? There was also confusion, like he wasn't sure why he was even doing this and Riku felt a pang of regret as he saw the startled and just as equally confused look in Sora's eyes, but he couldn't resist; it was like he had no control over his actions and at the same time, he wanted this to happen.

Once again the younger boy's face was lifted up and this time their lips met. It wasn't anything special or passionate, their lips just sat on top of each other for a moment before Riku broke away with a very slight smirk on his face, which made him look menacing with his hair hiding his eyes again.

"_You're it." _He muttered in a whispered voice. He hadn't even meant to say it, it just slipped and right after it did he was mentally cursing himself for it. Sora would have laughed, if it hadn't been him, that is. All he could think about right now was that his legs were starting to give in under him and having Riku right there breathing down his heck wasn't helping at all. To his relief, Riku pushed away and Sora thought he saw what looked like a blush trying to be hidden behind long silver bangs. Riku turned his back and went to the door, muttering a stuttered, _"I'm sorry." _before walking out.

Sora collapsed to the floor, finally able to breathe and his face burning from the immense blush on his cheeks. What had happened? It must be some kind of side effect from the spell or something; that just seemed too out of character for Riku. And at the same time, it felt right, or in the least comfortable. Sure, he had been as scared as a cornered prey animal, which he essentially was, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the way it had felt just a little. He soon found himself shaking thoughts from his head about what might have happened if that had gone any farther. This wasn't right! It felt right, but it just wasn't!

* * *

The Secret Place. It was the most obvious place to look for Riku, but knowing Sora, it would be the last place he'd think f. Which was why Riku now sat in the center of the small cavern, legs pulled to his chest and his head sitting on his knees. He didn't think Sora would come looking for him, not after what had just happened, but he wanted to be in the last place he's check, just in case he did come looking. And besides, he wanted to be here, the sounds of the wind whistling through holes in the roof and the waterfall echoing through the tunnel and into the cave were soothing his confused thoughts. 

Why had he just kissed Sora? That was the question he was struggling to find the answer to. Sora was a guy and his best friend, if there was any love between them it was a brotherly love...So then, this was an incest too?

He sighed loudly in frustration and pulled his hands over his head, grabbing at hand fulls of his silver locks. It was aggravating to try and figure this all out and he wanted to stop thinking about it, but he couldn't. He couldn't stop thinking about having Sora's lips on his own, or how wonderful it was to be so close to Sora he could feel the heat radiating from his body, of the intoxicating scent the younger boy had. No matter how wrong it seemed and how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about it

* * *

He couldn't just sit around, he needed to be doing something, like running around or swimming of beating the ever-living-crap out of some poor, innocent tree, just something. He could look for Riku, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to find him yet, so he'd just look. He would go look for the other in all the places he was most likely not to be first so he wouldn't fins him, besides it's probably what's expected of him. 

So Sora stood up on somewhat shaky legs, still recovering from the recent incident. He looked at the two doors of the shack and thought of where to go first. The dock. He didn't know why, but that seemed the best place to start, maybe because it was out in the open and too obvious. Then he'd go to the platform where Tidus would always practice his sword, then the tree house, then the other side of the island. He went through the list of all the places for him to check as he exited the shack and headed for the first place he was to look until he thought of the last one; the Secret Place. On his way to the dock he glanced at his final destination and sighed; hopefully by the time he was done looking he'd be ready to go in and find Riku.

* * *

A hand brushed across the old, childish drawings, bringing memories of early childhood. Riku had always known that he was happier before Kairi came along, before then he had Sora all to himself and, though she was a friend, when it came down to it she was just something to get in his way. His eyes crossed the little picture by the handleless door of Sora and Kairi and he didn't mean to glare at it when he saw the papou between them, but it made him so angry. He should have been happy that Sora had found someone he wanted to share his life with, but instead he was jealous; he wanted to be that person. Then the thought crossed his mind that Sora didn't know about this, that it was Kairi's own fantasy and his face grew more stoic, but the thought that this wasn't just Kairi's work still nagged at the back of his mind. 

He decided not to look over at that area of the cave, so instead he looked at the rest. It was almost impossible to miss the similarity between the drawings and recent things, such as; there was one that looked like the duck that always traveled with Sora, only disfigured a little, then one that resembled a graveyard in that Halloween place, and a castle, which could have every well been the one Sora's two comrades came from, but to Riku, it looked more like Hollow Bastion. That one he had to turn away from as well; that place would always house only bad memories for him, And when he did turn away, he locked eyes with the person he was trying to avoid, but seeing Sora's face made him indescribly happy at the same time. Riku had been so deep in thought he hadn't even noticed him walk into the cave.

The younger boy had an odd smile on his face, like it didn't belong there, or it was just strange to make. It only made him irresistibly cuter though as he stepped deeper into the cavern, _"They're kinda funny, aren't they?" _He took up Riku's previous task of looking the wall art over, _"You know, I was thinking about them not too long ago. It was almost like we knew what was coming without knowing it; like these pictures held our very fate in them." _Sora had just echoed Riku's thoughts and, though this was an awkward attempt tp push back the all too current happenings, Riku nodded. He wanted to act like that had never happened, not forget it, just pretend it was all something like a bad dream. That's what it really was, in essences.

Riku sat back in the center of the cavern, only pulling on knee to his chest this time, and stared at the blank wood door in front of him. Sora walked over and sat down next to Riku staring at the door too for a moment before letting his head fall onto Riku's shoulder, mixing messy brown spikes with silky silver strands. A stray smile found its way onto Riku's face; well then, perhaps they wouldn't pretend...If that's what Sora wanted.


	6. What Lies Ahead

_You have my permission to beat the ev_e_r-living shit out of me. I feel like a horrible author to make you wait an entire month for an update! I was just having a writing slump and got stuck on one part and just couldn't write for a while...in other words I was being lazy, sorry. I have a few concerns about this chapter; I think it's really cute, just there is a cheesy part and I think I might have portrayed Sora a little too childishly in some parts (Sighs). Well, now to thank my reviewers; thank you, Hailey Toison and Infamess, I'm glad you like it and I'm sorry for making you wait! Thanks for your suggestion, DieChan(Whose name makes me think of Dir En Gray), but I already have everything planned, save the small parts that fill up the chapters, and I fear the wrath I will receive for my decision(laughs nervously). And...OMG! YOU! (Glomps Reina-183) I LOVE YOUR RXS STORIES! I don't know why I did that italics thing, it just happened and I stuck with it. You'll be glad to know I didn't do that this time. I personally don't like Kairi, but I think it would be very out of character for Riku or Sora to hate her and there's no one else there to hate her so...I can't bash, and I really don't want to, it would ruin the mood of the story. Of course, can't forget the person who almost reviews my chapters first each time (Glompagas kuramasgirl13) If it weren't for you, none of this would be possible! Just to warn you ahead of time, the next chapter may not come out for a while, I'll try not to make you wait as long as you did for this one. It's just that I have to beat a certain part in the game so I can have my info right(is replaying the game and can't beat a certain someone in Hollow Bastion) and I also have a lot of stuff going on now because I have 3 projects due for school and I'm in the school play as a cast and crew member so I'll be staying after school a lot. I also have to make a notice about the fact that there is kinda big SXR in this chapter, for those of you who don't like that, stop reading. Now, enjoy this chapter!_

**Chapter 6: What lies ahead**

Riku was quite happy where he was and he could have stayed there all day; Sora, on the other hand, was starting to get squirmy, sitting around was just too boring for him. Riku glanced at the boy leaning on his shoulder and sighed. This peaceful moment would be ruined by Sora's inability to sit still for more than five minuets.

"Riku," The younger boy muttered, drawing out the last syllable and looking up into Riku's pale face, "I'm bored." No matter how much he might have wanted to stay the way he was. It wasn't possible for Riku to deny those beautiful, innocent eyes this simple wish. He sighed and looked away, making Sora think he'd made his friend angry. The younger boy frowned, puffing out his lower lip and probing Riku's arm gently, "Please."

"Alright." Riku mumbled as he stood up, surrendering to Sora's begging voice. The younger boy could be so childish sometimes, but that was one of the reasons why he loved him. Yes, that was the only reasonable conclusion; he truly loved Sora and not as a friend or a brother; as a person, as himself. He loved him as Sora. It was the only answer he could find to his question and it suited him just fine.

The younger boy grinned joyously and latched onto Riku's arm as if it were a life line. He jumped up, pulling along the silver-haired attachment with him out of the secret place. They ran on to the beach, Sora still holding on tightly to a very curious Riku's arm. There were a number of ideas running through Riku's head, and he was about to find out what it was Sora was thinking when a shoe passed by his vision in the sand, followed by another, a pair of gloves and a jacket. Riku was suddenly blushing slightly as he realized he was expecting to see the rest of Sora's outfit fly past him on the beach, but instead of his eyes catching clothes, he saw water receding as he advanced towards it. He managed to stop and tear himself from Sora's grip before he got dragged into the sea while the other boy readily jumped into the water.

"Hey! Warn me before you do that." Riku snapped, though not angrily, as he stepped back form the returning waters.

"Well, hurry up, slow poke." Sora whined, kicking water in the silver-haired boy's direction. Riku shied away from the droplets before shooting the other a quick glare. He pulled off his shoes and joined Sora in the water.

"What now?" He muttered with a flat tone. He wasn't quite enjoying himself, just the fact that he was spending time with the object of his recently discovered love. The younger boy put his chin on his balled fist thoughtfully. It seemed like the brown-haired boy couldn't make up his min over what he wanted to so, and Riku had started to make mini waves in the water absently, seemingly entranced by the way the colors mixed when he swirled the sea around his hand.

"I know!" The shout came so suddenly, and so loudly, it almost sent Riku soaring out of the water. He took a deep breath to calm himself, then looked at Sora, a finger pointing to the sky and a big, goofy grin on his face. He was almost afraid to ask."Let's play Choco Bobo."(Their version of Marco Polo. I know...It's lame, but it works better than Marco Polo, right? You're also probably thinking WTF, but bare with me, it results in a good thing.)

Riku sighed, shaking his head. There was that childishness that made Sora who he was again. Riku couldn't help but smile, "Alright, we'll play." He said, as if he didn't really care, but truthfully, playing these childish games made everything almost feel normal again, and being in that kind of atmosphere had even made Riku forget about recent happenings.

"Okay, I'll be it first." Sora proclaimed, turning his back to Riku and clapping his hands over his eyes. The silver-haired boy only got a few seconds to change his position, which he didn't, before Sora was turned back around with his hands removed from his eyes, which were kept closed, and shouting, "Choco!" When his call got no answer he started to move around, shouting out the word a few more unresponsive times. He cracked one eye open, looking around for his target, and when he found it standing in the same spot as before both eyes snapped open and a pout formed on his face, "You cheated, you're supposed to say 'bobo'."

"And you're supposed to keep your eyes closed, so you cheated too." A sly smirk crossed Riku's face as Sora gave him a competitive glare.

"Well, you cheated first, so it's not my fault." The younger boy countered, not willing to lose this fight. Riku just rolled his eyes and shook his head,

"Fine, fine. I'll play fair this time. Start again." Sora gave his friend a wary glance before turning around again. This time, Riku did move, trying to be somewhat quiet while trying to walk through the water, "Choco!" The word rang through the air loud and clear and it made Riku, and his heart, stop in their tracks. He looked over at Sora and sighed, cringing at the thought of having to say that ridiculous word. But he had to, so he did, in a very low and grumbly voice though, "Bobo."

A slightly devious smiled appeared on Sora's face when he heard the word and he reached his arms out, starting towards where he thought the reply to his fall cam from. When Sora was only a couple of feet away from him, Riku moved to the side then started to make his way around the spiky-haired pursuer. He flinched when Sora cried 'Choco', not expecting him to say it when he was so close. He gave himself a few moments to get a little more distance before responding. The younger boy flicked around, lunging at Riku with eyes still tightly shut. The first reaction Riku thought of was to catch Sora, and only after he had the other in his arms did he realize that he was supposed to avoid contact with him. He laughed sheepishly at himself and muttered, "Guess you got me."

Sora looked up at Riku and found that his gaze was caught by the aqua eyes, and once he looked into them, he couldn't look away. And in looking into those orbs of swirling greens and blues, Sora discovered that, even though many people often compared his friend's eyes to the ocean, the two were very different. It was like that saying, a person's eyes are the windows to their souls, and there were many things that Sora could see in Riku's eyes that he could never see in the waters of the ocean.

"What?" The silver-haired boy muttered when Sora's staring had started to feel a little uncomfortable, tilting his head to the side. Suddenly, Sora grabbed at the hair around Riku's face and yanked on it, pulling them together in an awkward and clumsy kiss. If Riku hadn't been in a death grip by his hair, he would have ripped back in astonishment, and now that the tables had turned he knew ho Sora must have felt when he did this to him, and vice versa. Sora pulled away and quickly turned around, tromping through the water trying to escape. Riku was able to recover much faster than Sora had been able to after their first kiss, and when he realized that the spiky-haired boy was trying to get away, he rapidly closed the distance between them in nearly one stride. He grabbed the other's arm and twirled him around, not giving Sora enough time to even look at Riku before their lips were slammed together again. There was a long moment of tension between them, Riku fearing Sora's response, and Sora a little shocked at Riku's own reaction, but they began to relax as the kiss became deeper and more passionate, each little movement speaking the words they couldn't say. The near silence of the island set the perfect mood for the moment, only the gentle waters against the shore, a slight breeze ruffling through the palms, and a lonesome gull cry from time to time. The waves tenderly swayed their bodies allowing them to come together for only a brief moment before teasingly pulling them apart. Needy hands became curious and started to explore the other's body. Riku's hand gently caressed Sora's delicate cheek then swept over his jaw before moving down to his neck while Sora gripped tightly to the silver-haired boy's strong, muscular arms. Without knowing what he was doing, Sora sild his hands down to the other's hips and pulled the two of them closer. His arms wrapped around Riku's waist and then slipped under his shirt, his fingers running gingery along the silver-haired Boy's spine. When his hands reached a middle part of Riku's back he brushed against his skin so lightly it caused the older boy to jump from the sensation. But because Riku jumped it broke their passionate kiss, and they stared at each other blankly for a few short seconds before Sora ripped his hands from Riku's shirt and flipped around, fidgeting nervously and his face flushing a bright pink color. Riku even started to feel the heat growing on his own cheeks. What was he embarrassed about? He thought of a number of answers to that question; it could have been that he had just kissed Sora again, or maybe because he longed for Sora's gentle touch again, it could even be because he felt it was his fault their passionate moment had been shattered. He looked out over the water, noticing that its surface was now orangey-pink and the sun was only a half circle and slowly sinking behind the horizon.

"It's starting to get late." Riku murmured, still unable to avert his gave over to Sora. The younger boy looked over his shoulder, glancing at the other. He had only meant to take a short look, but he couldn't help staring at the healthy glow the setting sun's light seemed to put on Riku's usually pale face and how, even though this silver hair reflected some of the orange and yellow rays at its edges, it still kept its natural blue-grey color. At that moment, he was Sora's belief of perfect beauty. When he finally managed to pull his gaze away he followed Riku's stare to the sunset, only a fourth of the sun peaking over the ocean's edge now. He suddenly felt a pang of sorrow as he stared at the sky; it made him think of Kairi and how she was waiting for them to find her. This sunset reminded him of the one when he last spoke to her on the dock, when she was starting to ast weird. Why did he have to remember her now when he was so...happy?

Something then clutched his hand, and when Sora glanced beside him he found Riku there holding his hand and smiling slightly. Sora tipped his head curiously at his friend's odd look, "Come on." Riku muttered, leading the slightly confused boy along out of the water, across the beach and onto the dock where he sat down, throwing one leg over the edge and the other pulled to his chest as he stared at the sky, "You almost want the whole day without thinking about her, didn't you?"

"How-" Sora was a little startled that Riku knew that he was thinking of Kairi, but for some reason, it didn't really surprise him. He gave a short, half-hearted laugh and sat down, "Yeah, almost." there was only a small sliver of the sun remaining, but Sora couldn't stare at it long enough to watch it completely set; it put a very painful thorn in his heart, so his eyes fell to the glassy surface of the sea.

"I'm worried too," Riku muttered, resting his chin on his knee, "I keep wondering if I'm not as certain as I act. What if I'm wrong? Kairi could be in trouble or worse." He last few words fell in volume as he hugged tighter to his knee and hid his face behind it. Sora didn't know what to say, he wanted to comfort Riku, but he had the same concerns and he didn't want to lie. He hated seeing Riku look so depressed, "I don't think I'll go with you when you go to het Kairi back."

"What-why?" Sora questioned, looking up at the older boy. If Riku wasn't there to help them look they may never find Kairi.

"I...just can't go back there, Sora. There's too many memories, too much evil." He looked up at Sora with an expression of fear and sadness, "What if I lost control again? What if..." his voice fell to little more than a whisper and he looked away from Sora, unable to keep eye contact, "What if I killed you this time?"

A frown creased Sora's face at his friend's forlorn words. He leaned in against Riku and wrapped his arms around the despairing boy, "I trust you. You won't let the darkness go to far, and besides, we have our promises to keep." Riku looked down at Sora and Sora looked up at Riku with a bright smile. The silver-haired boy smiled back slightly and pulled the other boy into a tight embrace, mouthing a silent "thank you". Riku then heard a strange sound that was a mix of a sigh and mumbled words and he pulled Sora away, looking at him oddly. Only after seeing the younger boy blinking sleepily did he realize what the noise was. Sora laughed lightly with a sheepish smile.

"Guess it's been a long day." Riku put his arms around Sora again and pulled him up. Sora stared up at the sky, now getting a few stray stars on it's black background. He smiled and started to walk off the dock, still embracing Riku. The older boy went along with Sora, stumbling a bit at first before getting used to the awkward way they were walking. They walked off the dock and onto the wooden ramp by the secret place. They had to break their embrace to go up the ladder to reach the oddly hollowed tree that formed a convenient little room. Riku smiled lightly as he looked around at the area, remembering when Sora and him used to sit in the doorway of the hollow and stare at the night sky when they were children; there was even a cloth hanging on the wall that they would use on cold nights. Sora sat down next to the doorway and leaned against the tree trunk, resting his hands back behind his head while looking at the numerous stars now littering the sky like dust. Riku sat on the opposite side of the doorway and did the same.

"You remember when we used to come here, our parents would get so mad at us for staying out so late." Sora put an amused tone in his voice at the comment about their parents; he could remember trying to sneak back into the house, only to have a parent flip a light on in the front room and grumble his name in a very unamused, tired, I've-been-worried-sick voices. He'd laugh sheepishly and go to get his lecture. Riku laughed and looked at Sora with an arched brow.

"You'd get in trouble, I could get back into my house without being noticed." Sora rolled his eyes. Somehow, Riku did manage to always go unnoticed, he only got caught once or twice. The older boy sighed and got up, walking into the tree hollow. Sora watched him curiously, tipping his head when the other laid down on the floor and curled up with his eyes closed.

"What are you doing?" Sora asked, getting up and sitting next to his friend. Riku cracked open an eye and glanced at Sora.

"Trying to sleep. You're the one who said he was tired." Riku muttered, closing his eye and returning to his task of trying to fall asleep.

"Oh, right." Sora said, not feeling tired at all now, for some reason. He sighed and laid back, staring at the little bit of sky he could see over the railing and below the doorway. He wished Riku weren't trying to sleep, he was already getting bored, but he would feel guilty if he woke him for his own selfish reasons. He tried to occupy his mind by finding constellations and that lasted all of ten minuets before he struggled to find something to entertain himself. He glanced at Riku and sighed, sitting up and leaning over the silver-haired boy, wondering if he was really asleep, "Riku." He whispered in a sing-songy voice and got no response. He muttered the boy's name again, this time getting an inaudible grumble and a slight flinch. Sora leaned over farther and looked at Riku's face, a little worried by the sorrowful frown creasing it. Suddenly, Riku rolled over and grabbed a hold of Sora's arm, the only thing holding up his weight, and the spiky-haired boy fell on top of the still-sleeping other.

"Hey! Come on, Riku." Sora growled, not realizing that his friend wasn't trying to annoy him. He looked the silver-haired boy in the face with a glare, but it was quickly replaced with a look of worry as he saw that Riku was shaking now and the frown on his face hd only gotten deeper.

"Sora...I'm sorry." The spiky-haired boy stared in shock. Could the guilt of what he had done be haunting Riku, even in his sleep? "Don't leave...please." Riku's voice was so strained and desperate Sora felt like his heart was being ripped out just listening to it. He laid down and stared at Riku's saddening expression before putting his forehead against the silver-haired one's and closing his eyes, muttering, "I'm here."

Riku's shivering stopped and after a few moments his face became clam and almost expressionless, only the slightest hint of a smile on it. Sora found it easy to sleep, now that he was close to Riku, the older boy's steady, even breathing lulling him into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

The little house was enjoyably quiet now that the noisy duck and Goofy had gone outside to patrol for Heartless. Aerith and Yuffie didn't stay around, giving the excuse that they needed to tell Leon and Cid about the situation. Merlin sat in his chair looking over a number of scrolls, tomes, and other texts on magic; the current one being a rather large and quite thick book that hid him completely from sight. Sora and Riku were still on the bed and when Merlin tipped the book and looked over it, a slight smirk crossed his face. Over the span of the day the two boys had been fidgeting and muttering, usually incomprehensible words, and the ones that could be understood were the other's name. Now they were pretty close to each other, their foreheads touching and hands clasped together, fingers intertwined in an intricate knot. Sora's face was peaceful and a little childish with his bright smile, Riku's, on the other hand, was almost completely stoic, the only expression possibly visible on his face would be something along the lines of worry or fear, which could be gathered from his slightly twitching, knitted together brows. Merlin's smirk slowly faded. He was concerned, sensing that there would not be an easy, or happy, future for the both of them.


End file.
